A Sea Maiden's Song
by Philosophy Blue
Summary: SessKag. Mermaids are hunted mercilessly for their beautiful song, which is said to cleanse even the filthiest soul and heal the gravest of wounds. And that is how Kagome came to be dragged from the sea, entangled in a net, and hauled off to Sesshomaru's court.
1. Chapter 1

**Yup, I am committing literary suicide XP I have way too many stories going on. And what do I do? I publish another one! *throws up hands helplessly* It's like an impulse; if I got an idea, I gotta write it down and send it out to the big wide world o.O Anyhoo, there you have it, (or is it _here_ you have it?) A Sea Maiden's Song! **

**This was _nawt_ inspired by the Little Mermaid. I was watching Pirates of the Caribbean, On Stranger Tides, and I got the idea from there. **

-oOo-

"Only a mermaid's song, my lord."

He glared at the medic. "I don't believe in such tales, fool."

"They are true, my lord. And only the voice of a sea maiden could restore your arm to its full glory."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, citrine irises slanting toward the empty sleeve that hung off his left shoulder. Every child knew the wondrous tales of miracles performed by a mermaid's song. Every child knew that every morning, at dawn, a fleet of ships would set sail, armed with nets and harpoons, carrying crews determined to drag back a woman with a fish's tail in place of legs. And that every evening they returned with empty hands. "How do you know they are not mere fairy tales? No one has seen a mermaid with their eyes to this day, no?"

"No, my lord, but we have records, scrolls, telling the stories of grievously wounded sailors being healed by the soothing-"

"Very well," the Lord of the West growled, clenching his one fist. "I am not convinced, but I hereby give you leave to send the Royal Navy out into the sea in search of those... things. And you have better bring me one, too. And _when_ you do, _if_ it does not perform its so-called 'miracle,' I will behead it and you along with it as well."

"V-very good, my lord," breathed the medic. "I shall send out the ships at once!"

His only answer was a frigid gaze, and the frightened youkai bowed himself out, knowing that the next time he crossed the threshold he had better have a mermaid in tow, or... the back of his neck prickled.

-oOo-

 **Those of you familiar with my other stories know that they start out with snippy chapters and then get pretty long. That's what I'm planning to do with this one. So... What do you guys think? Worth following/favoriting? :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**CH 2**

Kagome smiled as she skimmed along the ocean floor. Her bare stomach was mere inches from the sand, practically inviting any crabs that scuttled along its surface to nip at her. She flipped over and gazed up at the surface, miles above her. She loved doing this; the sight of light filtering down to her in watery layers was beautiful. She would never get tired of it. She wiggled her tail happily, feeling her fins propel her further along the sand.

"Kagome!"

She rose to an upright position, frowning. She didn't like to be interrupted when she was relaxing by herself. "What is it, Sango?" The fact that it was her best friend doing the interrupting barely reduced her annoyance.

Sango swam closer, murky green fins fluttering. "Midoriko wants to see you."

"It's about you skipping out on the lecture," added Kikyo, swimming along behind Sango.

Kagome sighed. "I knew that would come back to bite me on the butt." She twisted this way and that, loving the way the weak sun shimmered on her scales. "Do I have to go? Can't you just tell her that you didn't find me?"

"Sorry," apologized Sango. "You know how she is."

"Yeah."

Kikyo looked towards the surface. "You should have been at the lecture this time, actually."

"Oh really?" Kagome couldn't hide the derision from her voice.

Kikyo nodded. "She didn't just talk about the old stay-away-from-humans thing like she does every week. She said something about increased human activity on the surface, and get this! She actually laid down more regulations!"

Kagome groaned. "Are you kidding me? Like we didn't have enough already!"

Sango snickered. "Yup. Now the surface is off-limits, 'until further notice.'" The mermaid made air quotes with her fingers.

"No!"

"Maybe you can change her mind." Kikyo tilted her head to the side.

Sango scoffed. "Yeah, right. She listens to no one but her own, nagging self."

Kikyo shook her head, her hair swirling around her. "No, it could work. Everyone knows she favors Kagome." She shot Sango a sly look that went unnoticed by Kagome.

Kagome gave the pair a suspicious look. "You know that's not true. She loves all of us equally."

Kikyo sighed dramatically. "Maybe it's because you're the youngest. She always goes easy on you. No other mermaid would get away with as much rule-breaking as you do. It's obvious. Plus, you're a smooth talker. If anyone can get her to lower regulations, it's you." Kagome still looked unconvinced. "Come on, Kagome. Think of it. Unless someone does something, you're not going to be breathing fresh air for a very long time. No more wind ruffling your hair. No more sunlight heating up your scales. No more- -"

"Alright, alright," Kagome interrupted. "I'll give it a try."

"Great!" Kikyo looked quite satisfied. "We'll come with you to the pavilion."

Kagome ran her hand through her hair, wondering what was going on. Then, shrugging, she headed to the main pavilion.


	3. Chapter 3

CH 3

As soon as they had swum a reasonable distance, Sango rounded on Kikyo. "You know Midoriko doesn't favor Kagome," she demanded.

"Duh," Kikyo giggled.

"Then—"

"Someone has to take the chance, and it is _not_ going to be me."

"Or me," decided Sango. "Oh well. What can it hurt?"

-oOo-

Shippo paced in the front of the room, green eyes glinting. "Gentlemen," he announced. "We have a task on our hands that has proved unsolvable for the past ten generations."

"And damn well we know it," grumbled a youkai in the back row. There was nervous laughter.

The kitsune had to smile. "Yes, and we know that if we fail, we might as well figure out how to kiss our heads goodbye." More nervous laughter. "But," he added, voice hardening, "If I have anything to do with it, it will not happen!" The room quieted; he had their undivided attention. He resumed pacing. "Although mermaids have proved elusive for the past several centuries, records still remain of them. And from those records, we can root out their weaknesses. We can learn all about those so-called sea maidens. We can hunt them down!"

"What makes you so sure?" yelled a belligerent young youkai. "Hasn't every fool been out combing the seas for those damn mermaids since the oldest of us were born? And they haven't exactly succeeded!"

"We are better than those fools," replied Shippo. "I have already done my research. And I've discovered their weakness; they can be bound by silver. And are mermaids not just glorified fish? Hence…" He trailed off as one of his assistants hurried forward with a black chest. He opened it and drew out a shimmering meshed fabric. The candlelight glinted off its razor edges. "This barbed silver net," he finished, smirking.

The room erupted with roars of approval.

* * *

 **Noooo Shippo... Where hast your innocence gone? Kudos to those of you who suspected the villain might be he... He's kind of wicked, isn't he?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Have you guys noticed yet? The cover for this fiction changed! This is thanks to ShokunDAYO. I put up a Cover Art Request thread, and she was nice enough to make not one, but _two_ brilliant cover arts for A Sea Maiden's Song! She's an amazing artist, and you should definitely check her out on Dokuga! I'm using the second cover right now, but the first one is equally beautiful. I can't decide! Maybe you guys can help me choose which one to use. :) Link is on my profile!**

* * *

CH 4

"Midoriko?" called Kagome as she swam into the main pavilion. She paused to admire her reflection in a specially tempered, waterproof, wall-to-wall mirror. The lighting did wonders for her complexion, she mused as she turned her head to the right, then to the left.

"Ah, yes, Kagome. Enjoying yourself?"

The young mermaid spun around sheepishly and grinned. "Hi! You wanted to see me?"

Midoriko drifted closer, dark blue scales glimmering. She was the High Lady Mermaid. Although all mermaids were daughters of the sea and therefore sisters, she was the eldest and most powerful of them all, and had the final say in matters. "Yes, Kagome." Her eyes flashed briefly with annoyance. "Why were you not present at the lecture today?"

Kagome sighed. "I'm sorry. But I wanted to coast." Coasting was when you let the ocean currents carry you wherever they pleased. It could get incredibly exhilarating if the currents were strong. "And the ocean current was going to fade before the lecture finished. So…" She trailed off awkwardly.

Midoriko shook her head. "You do realize that your repeated absences are detrimental to our entire reef?"

"Yes." Kagome shifted. "So, I wanted to talk to you about the new regulations."

"So did I," said the older mermaid. "You should know that the surface is off-limits until further notice."

"Oh yeah, I already knew that," said Kagome. "That's what I wanted to talk about. I mean, I feel like it's not very fair."

"Oh?"

She nodded. "I mean, I know about how there are a whole lot more overlanders up there than usual… But they can hardly spread over all of the sea… How come we can't go up to the surface?"

Midoriko shook her head. "I'm sorry, but it has to be like this. Whenever the ships on the surface start to multiply, it means either they're warring among themselves, or they're increasing their efforts to catch us. We've studied the patterns, and it's evident that it's the latter. We have no option but to keep our heads down and let the commotion pass, as it always has."

Kagome frowned. "But a quick breath above the surface would hardly be catastrophic! Or a couple hours sunning ourselves on a secluded group of crags…"

"Little sister, I wouldn't have put the surface off-limits unless it was absolutely necessary. I love it as much as you do, and as amazing as the sea is, there's nothing like a faceful of light from the heavens now and then." At the younger mermaid's eager nods, Midoriko continued. "But a week or two of abstinence won't kill us, and it'll have died down by then; they've already been up there for the past three weeks. Their patience won't last much longer."

Kagome pushed back her inky hair, scowling with frustration. "But… I could go out to the middle of nowhere and just take a short breather…"

"No!" snapped Midoriko, dark blue eye flaring with anger. "Those ships have infested the oceans like parasites, and you know how the overlanders' technology improves by leaps and bounds every day. They may have devised a trap for us in an isolated patch of sea, and the multitude of ships could be a diversion. You never know with those pathetic scum. Don't question my authority. I've swum these seas far longer than you have, sister. I have seen much, and I know that history repeats itself. Just wait and see; before long, they will give up and return to the mud from whence they came."

"But I can't _wait_!" Kagome thrashed her tail for emphasis. "I haven't been up there all that much lately! I need the wind! I need the _air!_ " She stopped when she saw the stony expression on her eldest sister's face. "Please?" she tried one more time.

"Know patience, little one."

"Rrgh! Why are you so controlling?" Kagome spun on her fins and speed-swam away, hair trailing behind her in a mass of midnight black. _Just you wait_ , she thought resentfully. _I won't let you control me like this!_

* * *

 **Please review on this chapter, thank you for the follows and favorites and reviews you guys have given me already, and remember to check out ShokunDAYO (link on my profile) and put in your 2 cents on which cover art to use!**

 **Ciao,**

 **Stardust Miko**


	5. Chapter 5

**So I actually had a 600-word version of this prepared for today's update... But then I felt guilty for not updating in so long, so I sat there for three houts and typed up an addition 1,400 words.**

 **...You're welcome *wipes away sweat* ;)**

* * *

CH 5

Kagome broke the surface with a gasp. Her wide blue eyes took in the dusky sky and the sprinkling of stars, and she greedily drank in the fresh air. The only sound was that of wave lapping over each other with quiet tranquility. She quickly swam to the tiny island within sight. With a mighty thrash of her tail, she was flying high above the waves. She landed with somewhat grace on one of the outcrops of rock that surrounded the shore. The surface of the rock had once been rough, but was now smooth from centuries' worth of mermaids lounging upon it, as Kagome did now. She joyfully exposed her pale, shimmering belly to the sky, waving her tail lazily about in the water that swirled around the base of her perch.

"Ahhh," she sighed. "This is the life." The rock felt warm against her chilled skin, which had just risen from the ocean's cold depths, and the icy starlight that flowed down between her slightly parted lips made her imagine that she was in one of the paintings often found in sunken ships.

 _I wish I could come up here whenever I wanted._ _I wish we didn't have to hide in the sea._

She leaned her head back, letting her eyes drift closed.

 _I wish we could live in peace with the overlanders. I wish… I wish…_

And then she was asleep. She didn't see the dark shadow wheel overhead, baleful red eyes taking in her exposed form, and soar away.

.

.

.

Shippo was gazing at the stars when the scout plummeted to the deck, shedding his feathers and true form as he did so. The deathly pale demon straightened up, raven-black hair still dusted with feathers.

"Shippo-sama!" gasped the bird demon, red eyes wide. "She- -It's- -It's actually _there!_ They _exist!_ "

Shippo swallowed hard. "Calm down, good fellow," he said, trying to stay calm himself. "Have you- -?"

"The mermaid!" the scout cried. The crew was gathering around them, eyes round. He looked around. "We are lucky tonight! I have seen a mermaid basking in the moonlight on a tiny island, not three hours of sailing from here! I have flown here hastily, and we must hurry!"

Shippo snapped into action, ecstatic at the good news after weeks of drifting at sea, exchanging scouts with the other ships spread out over the ocean. "Do not bother calling back the other scouts," he ordered to several demons who were preparing to take flight. "It is a waste of time. Do not send a message back to the mainland. We do not want to give hope of success, then fail. What are you all standing around for? Ready the ship at once! We sail immediately! Scout Kurokiri, point the way. Youkai, ready the nets. Upon our arrival, we must move quickly. Remember our island strategy! We cannot let this chance slip through our claws!"

When the crew had dispersed into bustling activity, Shippo took a moment to mentally prepare himself for the task to come. Allowing a thread of fox fire to weave itself around his fingers, he took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the cool, salty air. He let it out slowly, emerald green eyes closing as the sleek ship began to cut silently through the waves.

 _Mother, I hope you can be proud of me for the work I do tonight._

 _._

 _._

 _._

Two hours later, when the island was completely surrounded, and youkai were slipping quietly through the waters, threading the sea with nets that glistened a razor-sharp silver in the moonlight, Kagome woke up.

She took in the alarming sight with wide eyes and froze. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Dark heads bobbed in the water all around her, countless pairs of brightly colored eyes glowing menacingly in the dark. Real live overlanders! Midoriko was right. They really were everywhere. She had to get away from here!

Her hair fluttering around her agitatedly, she quickly slipped off the rock into the water. No overlander could match a mermaid in the sea. She plunged almost straight down, trying to go as deep as possible. A millisecond before impact, her hair reached out and brushed against the sandy bottom inches from her face, warning her of imminent collision. Damn! The island was surrounded by shallows. Flattening out, Kagome swam as fast as she could, her belly brushing the sand.

Her sensitive hair, flowing out behind her and sending distress signals all throughout the sea, detected it before she did. A sharp sting of pain flashed through her temple before her entire torso began to burn unbearably. It was like ropes of condensed sunlight searing into her skin, _hot hot hot!_ The sea attempted to comfort her, sending icy water her way to try to ease the burning, but it didn't affect it at all. Kagome looked down, but the moon had just drifted behind a cloud, and she couldn't see anything. Crying out silently in the water, she attempted to speed away, but now her tail was burning as well. She didn't want to touch it, but it seemed she had no choice. She reached up and her fingers sizzled and burned as they made contact with a thin, metallic thread.

 _Ahh! What is this evil contraption of the overlanders? Why does it hurt so much?_

In the oceans, there was never any pain. There was hardly any opportunity for mermaids to get hurt, and when they did, the sea was quick to alleviate their suffering. This degree of discomfort was new to Kagome.

 _Midoriko, Kikyo, Sango! Help me!_ She didn't know what to do. She had to get out of here, but a mere twitch of her tail set her scales on fire.

Kagome screamed when the bonds tightened, digging cruelly into her body. To her dismay, they began to pull her up towards the surface. _No!_ She didn't know what they'd do her. She did know, however, that they had the strangest notions about her kind. Birds who flew over land told them how overlanders thought that if they ate a mermaid's flesh, they would become immortal. Or that a mermaid's song could heal any wound. Ridiculous.

Determined to escape, she pulled against the burning threads, using her arms to manipulate the ocean currents. A shocked cry erupted her when her arms became snagged in more it. She thrashed in the water, trying to break free. She felt like a fish trapped in a net… net…? She looked desperately around herself. The idea finally occurring to her, she extended her hair out and sent out a wave of detecting signals. They returned to her instantly, telling her that she was ensnared in a tangle of thin threads that formed a barrier all the way around her rock, making a cage. No matter what move she made, she would become even more hopelessly entangled.

Kagome swallowed hard. She was trying to figure out what to do when the net tightened even further, tugging her mercilessly upwards.

"No!"

.

.

.

Lord Sesshomaru of the West, the Killing Perfection, reposed on his throne.

Around him, his court tittered as they waited for the main entertainment. Normally he would not be amused, but he was unusually high-spirited. He had received a messenger from Shippo that they had succeeded in capturing a mermaid, and the victorious fleet had been spotted on the horizon this morning. To be honest, he hadn't expected much from this venture, and was impressed with the young fox. He would have to think of a suitable reward. His stump of an arm tingled, reminding him that soon, he would be whole. With a small smile, he leaned back. He didn't have to wait long.

"Announcing Lord Shippo, former ward of and head advisor to our Lord Sesshomaru, on his return from his successful venture on the high seas!"

The great double doors opened slowly, and Sesshomaru found himself sitting forward. He watched with sharp eyes as the fox he had raised from kithood, now fully mature, strolled down the length of the throne room, members of the court and high ranking officials of the military on either side. He looked straight ahead, and his face was stony. When he reached the bottom stop of the dais, he dropped to one knee and bowed his head.

Looking up, he declared, "Lord Sesshomaru, my Alpha, I present myself to you upon my return, and hope that all has fared well in my absence."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. What was this wordplay? They met eyes, and he read conflict in the young fox's eyes. Something wasn't right here. "Lord Shippo, my liege, I assure you of the well-being of myself and my lands. Now rise and stand by my side as the objective of your quest is revealed to me and my court."

Shippo visibly tensed. "Yes, my lord." Rising fluidly to his feet, he ascended the dais and assumed his customary position behind Sesshomaru's right shoulder.

Sesshomaru's eyes slanted to him as he pondered whether he should ask the fox if there was a problem. Deciding to wait, he raised his hand. "I do believe we are all prepared."

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru." Shippo clapped his hands, silky white sleeves rippling with the motion. "Bring forward the creature."

Again the great double doors opened, and two of Shippo's favored underlings stepped through, carrying a glass coffin between them. Through the clear substance, a dark, motionless form could be seen.

"I do expect a live specimen," Sesshomaru murmured over his shoulder. Shippo nodded curtly, staring straight ahead.

When they reached the bottom of the dais, where Shippo had been standing moments before, they dropped to one knee and lowered the coffin gently to the floor.

"Unveil her," commanded Sesshomaru, tired of the wait and eager for the restoration of his arm.

The youkai obeyed, sliding back the lid of the coffin. Reaching into the water, they lifted the figure out and set it down on the floor. Bowing, they picked up the water-filled vessel and backed away.

Sesshomaru leaned forward. The mermaid was face-down, but from what he could see, she appeared quite genuine. She had a mass of dark hair that rippled and swayed gently in the air as if it were in water, flowing down her pale back. Her tail was long and thick, with brilliant cerulean blue scales that glimmered and glinted. Her fins were of the palest mint, with a row that scaled down the length of her tail, meeting with the dolphin-like appendage at the very end of her fish-like bottom half. Her upper body, from the back at least, seemed human, save with a line of scales trailing down her spine.

Looking closer, he realized that her body was streaked with a film of something white and foamy. His eyes narrowed. Fine silver lines criss crossed over her pale flesh, clearly marking where the foam was gathered. "What is that unsightly froth?"

"It appears to be a form of blood, Lord Sesshomaru. The creature continually shed seafoam when we bound it with silver netting. It will require further examination, with tools unavailable aboard the ship."

"Hn." Sesshomaru redirected his attention at the creature splayed out before him. Impatient to gaze upon its visage, he called, "Mermaid. Raise your head and acknowledge this Sesshomaru."

Below him, the creature stirred. It pushed itself on its elbows, hair drifting forward to shield its face.

Sesshomaru frowned. "Reveal your face to your Lord and master."

She gave no indication of hearing him, but her hair rippled and undulated, steadily unveiling her face.

As inch by inch, her visage became visible, Sesshomaru's heart rose into his throat. It couldn't be.

A sick feeling came over his stomach, and as the mass of dark hair finally settled on her back, he found himself half rising out of his throne, eyes wide and vulnerable as they drank in the sight before him. It couldn't be, but it was.

He knew that face. That nose he had nipped playfully, those lips he had kissed, those cheeks he had run his thumb over, marveling at their softness. And those eyes. Those eyes, those eyes that had haunted him for centuries, staring accusingly at him in his dreams, or blinking back tears as she looked up at him as she died.

 _My God._

"Is it you?" Sesshomaru whispered. "Is it you… Kagome?"

* * *

 **This was Day Two of 12 Days of Christmas! Every day until and including Christmas Day, I will be updating stories and posting oneshots. Follow me!**

 **Last, we had _The Long Way Home_ , in which Kagome flees her unhappy marriage to Sesshomaru. AU**

 **Next is _Of Captivity and Captivation_ , in which Sesshomaru tries to heal a broken Kagome, knowing it is his fault. AU**


	6. Chapter 6

CH 6

She was in a daze of pain, barely conscious as she stared hazily up at the imposing overlander, but she still heard it clearly. Her name. He had just spoken her name.

Her lips parted slightly as she tried to figure out how he knew her. She searched his face, wondering if she somehow knew him, but her eyes took in the sharp planes of his face with zero recognition. She had never seen any overlanders until quite recently. Telling herself that her name must coincide with an overlander word for something, she rested her head again on the ground. The initial fiery burning of her silvery bindings had eased some while she was in the glass vessel, but now the excruciating agony was back, sending waves of pain throughout her entire body. Her tail twitched weakly as she waited for them to kill her, or at least carve a chunk out of her back or something. That was why they wanted her, right? They thought they could eat her flesh and become immortal.

She was barely aware of being lifted up and placed back in that clear cage, her only knowledge of it coming from a slight alleviation of her suffering. She closed her eyes, vaguely aware of being carried again. Then, all in a rush of color and motion, she was dumped out of her prison and onto another cold, hard surface. Before she could so much as reach out a hair, rough hands were stripping the wires from her body.

Without meaning to, she groaned, and much to her consternation, the voices conversing quietly above her broke into chuckles. She opened her mouth to say something snappy, but she was picked up and dropped unceremoniously into a body of water much larger than the one inside her previous cage.

She gasped in bliss as the water folded welcomingly over her body, soothing the burns left by the wires. Within moments, all the pain was gone, and she cautiously poked her head out of the water, staring at the overlanders who stared in turn at her.

"What do you plan to do with me?" she tried, but their stares stayed blank. Right. They didn't understand her. Pursing her lips shut, she took in her first view of overlanders that was not clouded with silvery pain. She had known they didn't have thick tails like mermaids, but seeing their trunks in person was interesting. When she escaped, she would have so many stories to tell her sisters. She would be so popular! She grinned at the thought, and that appeared to unnerve the overlanders, as they reached for their weapons, glaring at her distrustfully. She realized that the blades were all edged in the same substance that had burned her so badly, and she cringed, lowering herself beneath the surface of the water. She didn't want to get hurt again…

Oh gosh, what was she going to do?

A silver-edged net shot into the water, and Kagome cried out as it wrapped around her arm. She was helpless as she was dragged partly out of the water, her top half laid out on the tile. The net was loosened and removed, and she nursed the arm with her tears, understanding that they wanted her out of the pool. What were they going to do to her? She peeked up and saw the fiery-haired overlander who had led her captors.

Shippo stared down at the creature at his feet who so closely resembled the woman named Kagome. "Alright, mermaid… It's time to answer some questions."

 _What is he saying?_

He reached down and flipped her onto her back. He began a rough examination of the creature, cursing with each thing he confirmed. The birthmark on her neck. The left pinky that was crooked. And… he pulled her into a hug, ignoring her gasp. His heart quickened at the familiar feeling. "Even her embrace… Dammit." He straightened up and peered down at the creature. "I don't know what to believe. You're like an exact replica of our Kagome… minus the obvious, of course." He glanced at her tail, fins, and sensitive masses of hair. He shook his head. "Lord Sesshomaru, I don't know what to say." He bowed his head to the imposing figure leaning against the wall.

"Hn."

However cold his surrogate father seemed, Shippo could read his demeanor. Sesshomaru was troubled.

"Shippo… teach the creature our language. It seems some questioning is in order."

"Yes, my lord."

* * *

 **Thank you for staying with me so far! You guys make this possible :) Please tell me what you're thinking in a review. It makes my day to read each and every one of your reviews.  
**

 **Cheers!**

 **Philosophy Blue**


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